What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger
by naomi-in-neverland
Summary: Pure Draco and Ginny fanfic. Well, obviously there will be Death Eaters and fighting involved. Not to mention the Final Battle! Just a warning, Ginny may or may not go into major depression for a little while. But don't worry. As I said before, pure D & G fanfic. R&R!
1. An Unfortunate Class

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter = Unfortunately not mine**

_**A/N: Yes, I know I've already started a Draco+Ginny fanfic but I couldn't resist starting another, so, sorry haha. Please enjoy(:**_

Sixteen-year-old Ginny Weasley sat furiously scribbling away at a DADA essay she was to finish by after lunchtime.

Looking up at the clock in the library, Ginny saw that it was 11:45 and she'd only done quarter of what she was meant to do.

Ginny sighed tiredly and leaned back in her chair. _Carrow's going to have my head_, Ginny thought miserably.

Then she grinned. _Not that it would make a whole lot of difference._

Ever since Dumbledore died and Hogwarts was taken over by mostly Death Eaters, not to mention the Golden Trio left for their "mission", Ginny had been making Amycus and Alecto Carrow's lives as awful as possible. Graffiti'ing the corridor walls with things like images of the Order, planting Dung Bombs in unexpected places. And the best part, Ginny never got caught.

Except once. Ginny was in a particularly foul mood after having endured an hour of Carrow droning on about how pathetic and filthy Muggles are, and so decided she'd take out her anger by planting fireworks near Carrow's office.

However, as she was setting them up, a certain blonde-haired Slytherin came across her and asked what she was doing.

Ginny nearly jumped out of her skin and stared at Draco Malfoy with wide eyes, before stuttering out, "I-I was j-just, I-I, um-" Draco cut her off and took a step closer to her.

"Don't you know that you shouldn't be doing these things?" Draco hissed, and Ginny winced. His voice was so harsh. "Merlin, you'll get caught. And what will happen then?"

For a split second Ginny thought she saw concern deep in Draco's cold, grey eyes but just as quick as she saw it it was gone, and Draco muttered a quick, "Be careful, Weasley" before turning around and strolling away. Ginny quickly set up the last of the fireworks, cleared away any evidence that she'd been there, and hurried off to her Common Room.

Ginny saw Draco in a new light that day. Sure, Harry had explained before he'd left with Ron and Hermione that it wasn't his fault Dumbledore was killed, and he wasn't a bad guy. Adding to the fact that Draco hadn't insulted her once this year and he was acting very drawn into himself. He was looking unhealthier and thinner, Ginny had noticed, but didn't pay much attention before because she was too busy living out her duties to the Order. But now she saw it. Draco was just as much a prisoner as her and the rest of the Death Eater victims were.

Coming back to the present, Ginny then realised it was 11:55. Cursing mentally to herself, she did as much as possible, which was only about two more sentences, packed her things away and grumpily made her way to the Great Hall.

Upon entering, Ginny looked around the large room filled with students and sensed the lack of cheeriness.

_Perfectly understandable,_ Ginny thought grimly, and made her way to the Gryffindor table and sat down by herself.

The food was already there. Good. Ginny was starving.

Tucking into a sandwich, Ginny stared around the Great Hall, subconsciously searching for a certain blonde-haired teenager.

When she didn't find him at the Slytherin table, she sighed to herself and got up, then walked out of the Great Hall to her next class. Defense Against the Dark Arts.

Ginny inwardly groaned. She was sure to get a detention, from blasted Alecto.

Ginny had actually managed to stay out of trouble the past two months, despite all of the trouble she'd caused. Now she was sure to get the worst.

Taking a deep breath and steering herself for the big verbal (and probable physical) explosion that was going to happen in less than an hour's time, Ginny opened the door to the classroom and walked inside.

Alecto Carrow was sitting at a large desk, her short, plump form barely visible. She got up from her seat and waddled to the front of the classroom, black, beady eyes regarding everyone that was seated before her. She'd do this every day. To put the students on edge. Ginny merely yawned.

_What?_ She reasoned with herself. _I'm going to be punished later on, anyway._

This thought didn't exactly reassure Ginny, and she stared grimly at the teacher who had now ordered them to get out their textbooks and start reading about the Cruciatus Curse, before getting them to practice it on each other. This was new, and Ginny didn't like it.

Staring, wide eyes open wide in disbelief and horror at Professor Carrow, Ginny sputtered out, "_What_?"

Professor Carrow's head snapped in Ginny's direction, her eyes narrowing dangerously, before her mouth spread into an ugly grin. "Yes, girly. And guess who's going to be practised on first?"

Professor Carrow marched towards Ginny, who was so stunned she didn't even protest when the awful Death Eater grabbed her upper arm, hauling her to the front of the class.

"This, you ungrateful bints, is the Cruciatus Curse," Alecto then trained her wand on Ginny and shouted, "Crucio!"

Ginny's eyes widened before snapping tightly shut as she fell to the floor and writhed in pain. She refused to make a sound.

This only angered Professor Carrow more, and the class watched in terror as their teacher placed the spell more forcefully on Ginny.

It was excruciating, the pain. It was as though someone had dipped Ginny's insides in alcohol and set them on fire.

Just as Ginny was about to let out an ear-piercing scream, the door of the classroom opened and Draco Malfoy stepped through.

Upon seeing what was going on, Draco's eyes widened as his eyes fell onto Ginny's shaking form.

"_What_?" Professor Alecto spat out.

Draco stared at Ginny for a couple more seconds, before snapping out of it and facing Alecto. "I, uh, was told to tell you to meet Headmaster Snape before dinner."

Professor Carrow nodded. "Yes, yes. I shall. I'll send him an owl telling him I'll be there." Just as Draco was going to leave, Professor Carrow added, "Take this, this _filth_, and do something about her. You know," Alecto's eyes narrowed angrily again. "Crucio her. You know how." Draco nodded wordlessly and made his way to Ginny, who was by now too tired and in pain to protest.

Draco hauled her to her feet and supported her, then walked out of the classroom.

**A/N: Working on the second chapter now. Please review, hope you enjoyed. (: -Naomi**


	2. Unexpected Hero

**Disclaimer: I already made one, so I'm not doing another. I already have to miserably dwell on the fact that I do not, in fact, own the rights to Harry Potter, but Joanne Rowling does.**

_**A/N: Thank you to my reviewers. One of them was a guest, so I couldn't personally thank them. But, thank you Guest. (': Anyone else here obsessed with Beau Brooks? No? Pfft. There's not much else to say but enjoy!**_

Draco had to start dragging Ginny through the many large, echoing corridors of Hogwarts because her legs were eventually starting to fail, as was her consciousness.

Draco came to a classroom and placed Ginny inside, before locking the door behind him with a powerful locking charm. When he turned back around again he was met with Ginny's wide, fearful, hazel-brown eyes.

"M-Malfoy, please," Ginny stuttered. Draco only then realised she had a cut just above her right eyebrow. Probably got it when she fell as she was being tortured. "P-Please don't hurt m-me. I w-won't do anything bad any m-more."

Draco rolled his eyes, though he was secretly quite concerned for the girl and, much to Ginny's surprise, he stepped forward and lifted his wand, uttering a healing charm so the cut on Ginny's head disappeared.

He then proceeded to conjure up a First Aid kit. "How are you still awake when I had to practically drag you to this room?"

Ginny eyed Draco warily, before sighing deeply and accepting the bruise ointment he handed to her. "I was faking. Hoping you'd maybe go easier on me if I was already almost out. I didn't, however, expect this," Ginny gestured to Draco helping her. "To happen whatsoever."

Draco looked at Ginny for a moment. "That was smart." Ginny looked up at him, into his eyes. "And I can see your confusion. As to why I'm helping you. Well, pretty much everything that's happened to me this past year. Didn't Harry tell you?"

Ginny's eyes widened in surprise as Draco helped her smear the bruise ointment on her arms at Draco using Harry's first name, but quickly recovered. Now wasn't the time to be childish. "Tell me what? I mean, he explained to me about you not kill- about how Dumbledore passed away. And he told me you weren't really a bad guy."

Draco grimaced at the mention of Dumbledore's death. "There's that, but there's also more," When Draco paused to stare at Ginny, Ginny motioned for him to continue. So with a resigned sigh, Draco started. "I was brought up to believe that Muggle-borns, Half-Bloods and Blood-traitors were beneath that of my family, to 'proper' Pure-blooded people and families. I didn't know better. I was surrounded with all of that hatred and prejudice I thought it was normal. So I took that attitude with me to Hogwarts, where I made Harry, Hermione, your brother and mostly everyone else's lives a misery. It wasn't until I was sixteen that I finally realised how completely _fucked_ that approach to life was. I was assigned a job from the You-Know-Who bastard himself, right before I was forced to get the Dark Mark, I might add.

"I was to find a way to get the Death Eaters into Hogwarts, and then kill Dumbledore. If I didn't, I'd be forced to watch my family die, and then I'd be killed. But I still couldn't do it. Ginny, I'm weak. I'm a coward. But don't care, because I don't regret not killing Dumbledore. But I regret becoming a Death Eater, even if I didn't want to be one in the first place, and I regret every bad thing I've ever thought or said to you and everyone I've been a complete arse to." Draco finished and once he did, he was so out of breath he laid down onto the floor and snapped his eyes shut, blocking out the world for a moment.

When he opened them again and sat up, Ginny was looking at him strangely. Then, the corners of her mouth twitched as she said, "Who are you and what have you done with Draco Malfoy?"

Draco couldn't help but laugh slightly, despite these awfully dark times. "I'm all him, I swear."

Ginny smiled. "That was a lot to take in. But I understand, and I'm sorry."

Draco's face grew solemn now. "Don't apologise," Ginny didn't say much else as she stared at the floor, so Draco said, "Are you feeling better?"

Ginny cocked her head to the side, contemplating. "I think so," Then she grinned. "But I reckon you should still carry me to my Common Room."

That time Draco really did laugh, loudly. "No way! It was just an effort dragging you here, let alone carry you!" Ginny pouted, batting her thick eye lashes at him. Draco gulped. "Uh, anyway, I'm not sure if you'll be able to go back to Gryffindor Tower. Or anywhere to do with Hogwarts."

Ginny's face screwed up in confusion. "What? _Why?"_

Draco sighed for what felt like the millionth time that day. "Well, Carrow told me to finish you off so badly you'd probably be a lunatic," Draco carefully refrained from mentioning the Longbottoms. "So you can't exactly go strutting round the Great Hall in the most sane manner."

"What in Merlin's soggy pants am I supposed to do, then?" Ginny snapped.

Draco stared at Ginny with an amused expression on his face, before asking, "Merlin's soggy pants?"

"Draco!"

"You called me Draco?"

"_Stop changing the subject_."

Draco frowned at Ginny and then said, "I don't know. Well," Draco went a bit red. "My Head Boy dorm.."

"Perfect!" Ginny beamed, and staggered to her feet.

Draco looked perplexed. "Wait, so you're just going to trust me? And you're not even annoyed one _bit_ that you have to stay with me?"

Ginny looked at Draco once she had gotten her balance, and said, "Draco, if you wanted to hurt me you'd of done it by now. Besides, there's not much else I can do about Carrow wanting me barmy."

Ginny headed for the door, but was quickly pulled back again by Draco who was looking at her disbelievingly.

"What are you doing?" Draco hissed.

"I'm going to your dorm, where the bloody Hell do you think I'm going?" Ginny hissed back.

"Not only do you not know where it is, but you also can't get there without being seen."

Ginny rolled her eyes and said, "You're right."

Draco pulled out his wand and cast a Disillusionment Charm on Ginny, and then took her hand, making them both go beet red, and then opened the door, taking off down the corridor to where Draco's dorm was.

**A/N: Please review and tell me what you think. (:**

**-Naomi**


End file.
